After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

"Sister Su is young, so this kind of dress is suitable for her, but it might not be very dignified for the evening party." Pei Yanyu walked to the sofa, didn't even glance at Su Mucheng, and sat down directly to Zhu Xunchuan's right.

She naturally leaned on Zhu Xunchuan's shoulder, and one of her long legs casually draped over the edge of Zhu Xunchuan's right leg.

Su Mucheng bit her lip defiantly and snuggled closer to Zhu Xun Chuan. "Brother Chuan said he likes me dressed like this. The party tonight is so serious, I just wanted to help Brother Chuan relax."

Pei Yanyu chuckled softly, her red lips close to Zhu Xunchuan's ear, and blew a warm breath: "Really? I thought someone more mature would make you feel more relaxed."

On the left is a soft, pleated skirt; on the right, a captivating red velvet dress. Double the warmth and softness, the fragrances mingling in the air, causing the temperature to rise sharply.

Zhu Xun Chuan remained expressionless, wrapping his arms around the two women's slender waists.

"Alright. You two are presentable enough to take out." Zhu Xun Chuan said calmly, "Go change your clothes and get ready."

The sound of the fingerprint lock being unlocked came from outside the suite door.

Xia Wanying walked in wearing a tailored black women's suit with a silver-gray silk shirt underneath and red-soled high heels.

She glanced at the two women entangled with Zhu Xun Chuan, her phoenix eyes curving into a dangerous arc.

"Looks like I came back at the wrong time. Did I interrupt Brother Chuan's selection of concubines?" Xia Wanying threw the brown paper bag in her hand on the coffee table, pulled over a single sofa, sat down, and crossed her legs.

"They're just joking around." Zhu Xun Chuan released his grip, patted Su Mu Cheng's back to signal her to get up, and asked, "What did you find out?"

Xia Wanying got into work mode.

"I bribed someone to get the information from inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Combined with the gang token given to me by Jiang Yao from the North, the clues match up." Xia Wanying pulled out several reports from a paper bag and pushed them in front of Zhu Xunchuan. "The Tokyo branch of Dark River recently received an unusual injection of 60 million US dollars. This money was laundered through twelve underground banks, and its source points to the Yakuza organization 'Yamaguchi-gumi'."

Zhu Xunchuan picked up the report and glanced at it.

"The Yamaguchi-gumi's white glove will also be at tonight's political and business reception." Xia Wanying picked up the half-finished ice water on the table and took a sip. There was still Su Mucheng's lipstick mark on the glass. "The middleman is called Fujiwara. This person is greedy and lecherous, and is responsible for managing the dark web's human and intelligence transactions for the yakuza organization."

"Then let's go see this Fujiwara." Zhu Xunchuan stood up.

……

8 PM, Tokyo Bay Royal Prince Hotel, Top Floor Ballroom.

A scene of extravagance and decadence unfolded, with the champagne tower shimmering under the crystal chandeliers. Political and business elites in haute couture moved about, while a string quartet played softly in the corners of the hall.

Zhu Xun Chuan, in his capacity as special advisor to the Dinghe Consortium, stood at the entrance to the terrace, holding a glass of champagne. Xia Wan Ying, as the de facto controller of the consortium, was entertaining several directors of Japanese zaibatsu (financial conglomerates).

Su Mucheng and Pei Yanyu, posing as the film crew, attracted media attention from the perimeter, while Jiang Yao's people secretly took over the entire security system.

A short, stout Mediterranean man in a striped suit walked up to Zhu Xun Chuan with a big smile on his face.

"Mr. Zhu, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Fujiwara." The man greeted him in fluent Chinese, but his eyes couldn't help but dart towards Xia Wanying in the lobby.

Zhu Xun Chuan didn't waste any words. He pulled out a bearer Swiss bank check from inside his suit jacket, worth two million US dollars, and stuffed it directly into Fujiwara's jacket pocket.

"I need the address of Dark River's branch in Tokyo." Zhu Xun Chuan swirled his champagne, gazing at the distant night view, his voice flat.

Fujiwara glanced down at the number on the check, a glint of greed in his eyes. He raised the back of his hand to wipe the sweat from his brow, his attitude becoming extremely respectful.

"Mr. Zhu is truly generous." Fujiwara lowered his voice, looked around, and said, "The Dark River's movements are elusive; they've indeed been helping someone with a major case recently. Give me three days, and I'll go to the Yakuza to inquire. I'll definitely hand over the address in three days."

"Okay. I'll wait for your news." Zhu Xunchuan nodded.

Fujiwara bowed again and turned to walk towards the other side of the hall.

Once he was out of sight, the respect on Fujiwara's face vanished instantly, replaced by a sinister sneer. He strode through the banquet hall and headed towards the VIP restroom at the side and back.

The bathroom corridor was covered with a thick wool carpet, which blocked out the sound of string music from outside.

Fujiwara walked into the innermost cubicle, closed the door, and took out a one-time encrypted mobile phone.

The call connected, and he covered his mouth, lowering his voice to speak quickly in Japanese: "Boss. The big fish from China has taken the bait. He's at the party right now, with only a few women around him; security is very weak. He paid two million for your spots."

"Okay, okay, I understand. I'll keep him calm for now. After it's all done, my share..."

"Bang!"

The wooden door to the cubicle was kicked open with terrifying force.

Wood chips flew everywhere, the door lock shattered, and it crashed heavily onto the toilet.

Fujiwara was so startled that he dropped his phone. He looked up in alarm and saw Zhu Xunchuan standing in the doorway.

Zhu Xun Chuan had already taken off his suit jacket, wearing only a plain black shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his forearms, revealing his well-defined muscles.

"What...what do you want to do! This is a public place..." Fujiwara tried to remain calm and reached for the folding knife at his waist.

Zhu Xunchuan did not answer.

He stepped forward, his right hand precisely gripping Fujiwara's thick neck, and lifted him directly off the toilet. Fujiwara's weight of over two hundred pounds was as light as a feather in Zhu Xunchuan's hands.

Zhu Xunchuan turned around and dragged Fujiwara out of the cubicle like a dead dog, leading him to the sink.

The tap was turned on, and icy water poured down.

Zhu Xun Chuan pressed down on the back of Fujiwara's head with his left hand and exerted force downwards.

"Bang!" Fujiwara's face slammed heavily against the marble sink, his nose bone instantly breaking, and blood mixed with ice water flowed into the sewer.

Before he could even scream, Zhu Xun Chuan shoved his head into a pool full of water.

The water churned violently. Fujiwara gripped the edge of the sink tightly with both hands, his legs kicking wildly in the air, and a choking gurgling sound came from his throat.

Ten seconds. Twenty seconds. Thirty seconds.

Just as Fujiwara was about to go into shock, Zhu Xunchuan grabbed his hair and pulled him out of the water.

Fujiwara gasped for breath, his face smeared with snot and blood, staring in terror at the expressionless man in the mirror.

The faint sound of a violin drifted from the banquet hall outside. The luxurious string music contrasted sharply with the strong smell of blood in the restroom, creating an extremely eerie atmosphere.

"No...don't kill me! It's the Yamaguchi-gumi! The Yamaguchi-gumi gave them a hundred million dollars to buy your life!" Fujiwara completely broke down and confessed everything, "They'll send someone to the hotel to kill you tonight!"

Zhu Xun Chuan took the hand towel next to him and slowly wiped the water stains off his knuckles.

"Call them." Zhu Xun Chuan kicked the phone on the ground to Fujiwara's feet.

Fujiwara picked up the phone, trembling. "Say...say what?"

"I don't need you to find them." Zhu Xun Chuan looked down at him, his eyes cold and sharp. "I want you to lure them out. Tell them I'm leaving the party in ten minutes and taking the coastal highway back to the hotel."

Reverse fishing.

Zhu Xun Chuan walked out of the restroom and took out his walkie-talkie: "Wan Ying, the party is over. Notify the people in the North to set up a net along the coastal highway."

……

Late at night, in a penthouse suite at the Aman Hotel.

The cleaning work along the coastal highway was handed over to the undercover agents left behind by Jiang Yao.

Several Toyota Alphards, packed with assassins, were sunk into Tokyo Bay before they even got close to the hotel.

Zhu Xun Chuan returned to his suite, loosened his tie, took off his shirt which smelled slightly of the sea breeze, and prepared to head to the bathroom.

A series of light footsteps came from behind.

Xia Wanying walked over barefoot onto the tatami mat.

She changed into a kimono-style yukata with a distinctly cherry blossom feel. The silky fabric clung smoothly to her body, and the sash was loosely tied at the waist.

She was holding a small white porcelain tray with a pot of warm sake and two porcelain cups on it.

Xia Wanying didn't put the tray down. She walked behind Zhu Xunchuan, freeing one hand to wrap around his strong waist.

Her cheek pressed against his back, the cool touch of the silk bathrobe mingling with her body heat.

"Brother Chuan, the dirty work outside is done."

Xia Wanying's voice was languid, carrying an inexplicable allure. Her red lips brushed against his shoulder blade. "I need to interrogate you tonight. I've sent those two girls to sleep in another suite. This sake... how do you plan to drink it?"